The departure point of the Villa Capri Motor Hotel may be gone, but the geologic information within Guidebook Number 3 remains relevant to this day:  "The four stops of this field trip are in the Upper Eocene (Jackson) and Oligocene volcanic ash and bentonite beds, which crop out about 50 miles southeast of Austin. In the road log, the geology of the area between Austin and these volcanic beds is only briefly noted.

Stones and minerals that are sufficiently beautiful, durable, and rare are known as gemstones. A gemstone with only one of these qualities is less desirable than one with all three. For example, a stone with rich color but not sufficiently durable to withstand daily wear in rings finds little favor as a gemstone except in brooches or pins where the stone is relatively safe from abrasion. Likewise, a stone that is beautiful and durable may be of little interest as a gemstone because it is commonly found in great quantities.

Almost everyone has seen the fossilized remains of prehistoric plants or animals. These might have been the skeleton of a gigantic dinosaur, the petrified trunk of an ancient tree, or the shells of snails or oysters that lived in the great seas that covered Texas millions of years ago. Each year more and more people are learning that these fossils are more than mere curiosities. Instead, they are realizing that a good collection of fossils provides much information about the early history of our earth, and that fossil collecting can be a most enjoyable, fascinating, and rewarding hobby.

Three mappable members in the upper part of the Thrifty formation (Blach Ranch limestone, unnamed shale, and Breckenridge limestone), two in the lower part of the overlying Harpersville formation (Quinn clay and Crystal Falls limestone), and six minor lentils, all in the outcropping Cisco group, northern Stephens County, Texas, have been mapped and are described. The Blach Ranch, Breckenridge, and Crystal Falls limestone members, which are important regional stratigraphic markers in surface Cisco rocks of the Brazos Valley, have been redescribed at type localities in the area.